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Black Smiles 

or tKe 

^^i\i\y Side efSsihU life 

rra^nkliix Hervry BrysLixt 




Published by 

Southern Missionary 
Society 

NASHVILLE, TENN. 



COPYRIGHTED, 

igog, 
By J. E. WHITE. 



(gCl.A2; 




D'aint no use er bein' mum, 
Loungin' 'roun' er-lookin' glum, — 
Make er sorrer hate tuh come 

Keep smilin'. 
Got uo money? — what j^er keer? 
Smile er smile fum ear to ear ; 
Heaben's happy, don't yer fear; 

Keep smilin', keep smilin'. 



Possums clamin' 'simmon trees ; 
White fokes gruntuhs fat iz cheese ; 
Tu'keys roostin' in duh breeze ; 

Keep smilin'. 
Nigguh, you can't coin er trillion ; 
Can't you lib on watuhmilion 
Big iz Gools n Vanduhbillion ? 

Keep smilin', keep smiliii'. 



Rudduh be er smiler, min. 

Right widout n right widin, 

Wif duh tickles 'roun' muh chin,- 

Keep smilin', — 
Dan to dribe an automo' 
Wid er million tons er woe 
Hangin' on muh heaht, j^ou know; 

Keep smilin', keep smilin' ! 



[3] 



Grandpa's 
Fireside Stories 
of Slavery Days 
In Six Poems 

Being a 

Recital of Humorous 

Incidents 

Characteristic 

of 

Negro Life 
*'Befo' dull War" 



[4] 



Cwismus 



Grunter. 




Well, liit's uealily Cwismus, yotinguns, n I s'pose you 

want tuli hear 
Gramper 'late a Cwismus story ; so each feller git his 

cheer. 
An' of co'se now, Sal Malindy wants tuh ride on gram- 

per's shoe, 
N if she'll be quite an' pooty, she'll be gramper's sugar- 

doo! 

Now it come about one Cwismus, Mandy says 'twas 

fifty-fo', 
Dat ole massa's crew er nigguhs axshilly tried dem- 

selves, yer know. 
Jeems hid stole er poun' er backker, n ole A'nt Mer- 

liney Wess 
Toted off er ham n bacon fum ole massa's in huh dress, 

[5] 



6 BLACK SMILES. 

Well, I can't begin to tell ynli what dem darkies didn't 

stole ; 
But ole massa couldn't kotch 'em dough dey wus auda- 
cious bol'. 
Mas' thought, dough, dit he'd git even ; so he simply 
helt his bref, 

'Termined whin he kotch er nigguh, 
he would beat him ha'f tuh def. 

Now ole Pete wuz '' hoodoo docktur" 

on ole massa's place, you see, 
N he claimed dit he could cunger 

white n black n bon' n free. 
Graveya'd dirt, n rooster spurs, n, — 

shucks, I don't know what all 

Pete 
Didn't fix up fur us nigguhs, — hands, 

n jacks, n rabbit feet! 

Howsomeber, all dim darkies what 
had one er Peter's things. 

Would outrun duh dogs n massa lak 
iz if dey went on wings. 

Stealin' now wuz nachly timptin, iz 
der craps wuz oiit n froo. 

No mo' work twill Febberwary, hin 
hit neahly Cwismus, too! 

Now hit happened Cwismus Eve night wuz er drizzlin', 
freezin' cole, 




CWISMUS GRUNTER. / 

Hin yuh know, I knowed ole massa would be curled up 

in his hole. 
Hince hit fell out so dit Peter, who wuz awllus mighty 

hunter, 
Wokes me up twixt twelb n 'leben' axed me how'd I lak 

some grunter ! 



Whin dat nigguh mentioned grunter, Mandy riz up dare 

in bed, 
'Sistes me in boots and briches. " Ready drecklj^, 

Petes," I said. 
Mandy fixed dull pots n vessels ; all duh chilluns wuz 

awoke 
An' wuz 'joicin' to see daddy gwine tuh git some Cwis- 

mus poke. 

Got my rabbit foot, an Peter s'plied me wif a special 

hand, 
Made to fit dis axshil 'casion, — piece er flannel full er 

sand. 
Peter had er flint n pine tawch, — Petes wus 'fesshnul in 

dis sin ; 
See, he knowed we need dat tawch tuh blind duh 

grunters in duh pen. 

Now, ole massa wuz er 'spectin' sumppun nudder to 

come 'bout, 
N whin we got to his pen, suh, ever grunter wuz turned 

out! 



BLACK SMILES. 



But ole Peter Sciys, ** By gummy ! Squeeze yuli rabbit 

foot," says he, 
" N jis spit upon dat flannel, n come on n foller me." 



In a minit we wuz stan'in' 'fo ole massa's front-yard 
gate ; 

Dare ole Peter works his jack, n whistle low, 
n din we wait 
, Jis er secon', n ole Rovuh, massa's big ole 
nigger-hound, 
Walks up jis iz nice n gintly, n he stood dare 
friskin' round ! 






4 i ^ '%! i 






Din ole Peter led right on in to ole massa's 

garden, where 
D' wuz er box off in one cawnur, n er fine 
young grunter dare, 
Which ole massa wuz er 'zervin' 'tickly 

fer his New Year's Day, 
Whin dey wuz er 'spectin' cumpny, 
some big folks fum fur away. 



'' Hit him centur ! " sa3's ole Peter, iz he blinds him wid 

dull light ; 
N I raised ole massa's ax up, n I nailed him wid my 

might. 
But he squeal once, spite er hebens ! Chile, I stabbed 

him in duh th'oat, 
Picked him up, n law, sich runnin', — me n Peter n dat 

shoat ! 




CWISMUS GRUNTER. 9 

I wuz leadin' wif duh grunter, pintly fljdn' 'cross duh 

yard, 
Follered by ole cunger Peter, — man, I wuz er riinnin' 

hard, — 
Whin ole missus' blamed ole clothes-line cot me right 

beneaf duh chin, 
N hitlak tuh jurked muh head off; folks' hit snatched 

me out er win'. 



Hin hit flung me, hebens honey ! Slap ergainst 

ole Peter, too! 
Dare us nigguhs n dat grunter had er mash n 

smash for true. 
N ole mas' n miss' come runnin', wif duh 

cow-hide, light, n gun, 
' Fo' we riz ; — n what you reckon dat dare 

pleggone Peter done ? 



He jis grabbed me in duh collar, n he 

helt me to duh groun', 
N he holluhed, "Run quick, massa! I 

done got duh skawnul down! " 
Mas' n miss', bofe in deyr night-clothes, 

comes er runnin', n dey say, 
"Hole 'im, Peter! Blame duh debil! Turn him ovuh 

right away." 




Folks, ole Peter bent me ovuh dat dare carcus of er hoe. 
While ole massa wif dat cow-hide evuhlastin' walked 
my log ! 



lO BLACK SMILES. 

Yas suli; clat ole white man stood dare, ii he beat n 

beat, by gum ; 
Plum furgot dit he wuz freezin' twil duh fros' hid 

made him numb ! 

Well, he had to quit ur freeze one ; so he left ole Pete 

duh light; 
Tole him dat duh tail n intruls wuz his 'ward fur actin' 

right ! 
N tuh see I skint n gutted, cut n hung dat grunter up ; 
N ole missus stept n brought him pint er wine out in er 

cup! 

Well, I skint n clean duh hog, n din I cuts him up also ; 
N I begs while I'm er cuttin', Pete tuh hang it up, you 

know. 
In duh smoke-house, — n ole Peter couldn't stan' tuh 

heah me beg, 
N I beat him out dim intruls ! Pored um down m}^ 

briches-leg ! 

I jis laid it all on Rovuh, stanin' lickin' in duh pan I 
,N I left ole Petes a-cussin', wif er jack out in his han'. 
I went home ! Duh chaps n Mandy, heah dey all come, 

gethern me; 
Says she, "Sam, you smells lak grunter, but no sign 

er poke I see! " 

"Johnny," says I, "pull diss boot off. You pull disun, 
Sally Ann. 



CWISMUS GRUNTER. 



II 



Jules Mariar, come 'ere quick, gal ; bring yuli poppy 

dat dare pan." 
Jules Mariar fotch dull pan dare; Jolin n Sal bofe made 

er pull; 
Off dem boots come, n dem chittlins haxshilly filled 

dat dish-pan full! 

Mandy fell right in dare on um, n duh chilluns couldn't 

speak. 
Bless duh Lamb ! duh dad done brought um Cwismus 

nuff tuh last er week! 
Law, dim hashlits n dim chittlins. Dough I did hab to 

be beat. 
I hid rudduh had dim chittlins dan tuh been ole hoodoo 

Pete! 








w* 

.^'^^>>?'^ 



if* 



THE MILION SEED. 



Well now, little Sal Malindy, you can sit on granper's 

knee; 
N dull res' er all you younguns, you jis lis'n heah to me; 
N I'll tell you all a story, showin' liow it awllus pays 
To be hones' n be trufeful, by a tale fum slav'ry days. 



Now dis 'curred way down in Jawgy on er 

sunimuli night in June, 
Whin duh milions wuz er-ripenin', whin duh 

nights wuz dahk er moon. 
Yes, duh time I riccomembers well iz if 

'twuz yistuhday; 
But it happened long befo' yuh gram- pQ^^ 

per's wool hid gotten gray. "^^V^' 

Well, iz we hid worked lak good 

folks, all duh craps wuz done laid by, 

Massa lets us hab er 'vival, nigguhs come fum fur n 
nigh. 

[13] 




14 



BLACK vSMILKS. 



Dare it cliu'cli we'd liab our preacliiu', settin' souls fum 

Satan free, 
N we'd stay twill nealily midnight, n jis hab er juberlee. 

Now, not fur off fum dull big house, n right clost berside 
dull road, 

Wuz ole massa's watuhmilions, — n dey 
wuz dull bis dit growed ! 
N, of co'se, 'twuz hewmuii na- 
1 chur, — well, it mout er been 

' ole Scratch, 

Dat one dalik night aftuli meet- 
I in' brought me to dat milion 

patch. 




1^1 f < 




Now it seems some udduh sin- 
nuh had been monkeyin' 
roun' deni vines, 
N ole niassa, he done seed it by 

dull seeds n impty rines ; 
N so, on dis ticklur eveiiin' he 
done gone dar wid his gun, 
'Termined dat if any nigguh 
come dat night, he'd hab some fun ! 



Of dis fac' I wuz in ignunce! But duh Lawd am good 

a heap, 
Faw He knowed I slio wuz liongry, n He put ole mas' 

a sleep. 



THE MILION SEED. 



15 



N my moiife wiiz jis er watern, slobbuhs runnin' down 

my chin, 
Iz I felt about, er-tliumpin', fer a good one to begin. 



Well I run upon er small one, — ^jis erbout so big, you 

know ; 
Brought muh hammuh up erginst it, 

n right inter hit I go. 
N hit all hid vanished dreckly, n I 

wuz is hongry still ; 
But says I unto muhse'f din, "Nig- 

guh, stay n eat yo' fill." 

So I hunted 'bout n foun' er great 
big feller which did thump 

Nachly right, n off I jurked it, n 
begin to hunt er stump 

Well, right off er little dis- 
tunce, de ole debil 
lie'p me foun' it, 

Up I walks n raise muh mil- 
ion, n upon duh stump 
I poun' it. 




Lawd er mussy ! Up dat stump riz, whin dat milion 

fell, n whoo ! 
Y' orter seed me straighten out, boys ; bless yer soul, I 

nachly flew! 
Faw dat "stump" wuz my ole maasa ! Lef' his gun, n 

he to' out 



i6 



BLACK SMILES. 



One way home n me ernudduli. What you reckon 
come erbout? 



Me n him met up tergedduh jis er few feet fum duh gate, 
N he knowed me, kaze he holliihed, "Hay dare. Sambo, 
blame yon, wait ! " 

"'Stat you, massa?" says I p'litely. 
"Yas, hit's me." His flint he 
scrach, 
Lit er candle right dare on me : "Yon 
been in my milion patch." 

"Lawzee, massa!" sclaims I loudly. 

"Hush!" he raise his han' n 
said ; 
Hooked me in duh neck n spenders n 

straight in duh big house led ; 
Stuck me right befo' his bureau, hel' 

duh candle up, n law ! 
Dare I wuz er stan'in' lookin' hat er 

seed heah on muh jaw ! 




'Twa'n't no use to do no lyin' ; I jis had to shet my 

moufe. 
Massa reached up fer his cowhide, n 'twuz wahm fuh 

me down Soufe 
'Fo' he tuhned me loose, I tell yer ; n he nachly fixed 

me so 
Dat I had no inclernations tawdz dat milion patch no 

mo'. 



THE MILION SEED. 



17 



But furevuh aftuli, chilluns, whin duh cowhide wuz 

furgot, 
Dare wuz one thing I remembu'd, — deep down in my 

soul it's sot ; 
Faw whinevuh Satan timps me, wid er mean, dishones' 

deed, 
I kin look right in dat bureau, n behoP dat milion seed! 




^1^^-^ 




me cTecref 



WHat keep duh guberment er-gwine ? 

WHat keeps dim enguns puffin' ? 
What keeps duh white folks all f um dyin ' ? 

What s'plies um wid deyr stuffin' ? 
What keeps duh wurl up in deys fis ? 

How come dey ride n rule? 
Duh secrit of it all am dis : 

Duh nigguh n duh mule ! 

Semehow duh nigguh n duh mule 

Inclines tuh hang tuhgedduh ; 
You can't tell which duh bigges' fool. — 

But, bud, I'm doubtin' whedduh 
Ole Dixon Lan' whar I wuz bawn 

Would 'mount tuh ha'f er chigguh, 
If all duh mules wuz dead n gawn 

To heaben wid duh nigguh. 



[19] 




44 



SHAGGY." 



All right, cliilluns ; git 'roun' gramper ; Lindy, clam 

up in my lap. 
All git quite, n den I'll tell yuli how I had a sad 

mishap 
In duh days of antebellum, which yuh know means 

slav'ry time, 
'Fo' duh niggers had deyr freedom ; — y'all are ignunt 

of duh crime. 



Massa had a lot er sheep now, n some dog wuz awllus 
roun', 

N would be er-killin muttons; — mas', dough could'nt 
kill duh houn'. 

So one day whin he was 'turnin', habin' made er wild- 
goose-chase, 

He sends word down to muh cabin to come up dare to 

his place. 
[20] 



SHAGGY 



21 



Co'se I went, n says he, "Sambo, I's done run, n run, 

n run. 
Try in' to git dat plegged cur dog in dull reach er dis 

here gun. 
Now, I'm gwine tuh simply trus' you wid dis weepon 

dit you see; — 
Git each dog, n yo's duh mutton, all 'cep' 

one good piece fer me." 

Well suh, chilluns, you kin 'majun, 

maybe, how big gramper felt 
Wid dat muskit, — shot n powder hawns 

er-hangin' fum muh belt. 
" Yas, suh, massa! " Y' orter hurd me, — 

O, I'd riz up in duh sky ! 
So I watched n so I waited fer dat dog 

dit wisht tuh die. 



Seemed like dough dit somehow 'nudduh 

dat ole dog jis wouldn't come 
Back n kill ernudduh mutton, — lyawd, I 

wuz er-wantin some ! 
But dat skawnul stayed erway, suh; — 

well, I most wuz in despair, 
Whin er thought popped froo muh noggin, n hit 

he'ped me, I declare. 




Now, I had er dog name "Shaggy," n he wa'n't no 
count at all, — 



22 BLACK SMILES. 

Kep' him tied up roun dull house dare, so he'd 'scape 

ole niassa's ball, 
Kaze he'd nachly nail er mutton evuh day if he wuz 

loose, — 
D'wa'n't no houn' erbout could beat him, faw he 

axshilly beat duh doose. 

So upon er Sundy mawnin', whin I'd waited fer a 

week, 
I gits up n turns ole Shaggy loose to go an' mutton 

seek ; 
Off he go, his tail er-danglin', down eroun' der hill he 

creep ; — 
"Go on, dog," says I unto him, "You go out n slew er 

sheep." 

Ha'f er hour, ur little later, — co'se I wuz der paster. 

eyein', — 
N what seed I but duh muttons, n ole Shagg}^ jis er 

flyin',! 

"Put duh kittle on dare, Mandy," says I untuh gram- 

mer whin 
Me n massa's big ole muskit hit duh road u split duh 

win'. 

Whin I got down in duh hollow, dare ole Shaggy' stood, 

yuh know, 
Pantin' 'bove er big fine mutton dat duh skawnul done 

laid low. — 



SHAGGY 



23 



" G'way fum dare' you grand ole rascal," — bless yuli, 

Shaggy's tushes bloom, 
N he bristles up dare to me, — but I raised dat gun, 

"Cur-boom!" 



Well, dat settled it wid Shag- 
gy; I jis hauled him 
by dull sash 

Little piece off fum dull mut- 
ton, lef him dare fuh ' 
buzzard hash. 

'Gainst er tree I lent duh muskit 
Whilst I cut me down er 

So's to tote mull mutton handy, 
retched tuh take erhol', — 




Whin, I 'clare tuh goodness gwacious, up dat blamed 

ole mutton rose, 
Froo duh briars hit went er-flyin' ! but right aftuh hit 

I goes. 
Hebens, chilluns ! y'orter seed us sail froo stumps n 

briars n ditches, — 
Los' muh hat n to' niuli coat off, n suh, outrunned 

boots n briches ! 



Heah dat mutton went, n me too, up in down all n dat 

holler, — 
Hit seemed 'termined to be leader, — I wuz 'termined I 

would foller ! 



24 BLACK SMILES. 

Well, I kotcli it; — got duh booger; — drawed muli 

knife ercross hits thoat. 
Went on back n foun' muh briches n some pieces of 

mull coat. 



I fukgot erbout dub muskit, — bit bad done no good 

tub me, — 
Sbouldered up mub big ole mutton ; — muskit settin' 

side er tree. 
Well, ole massa watcbed n waited, wondern wby I did'nt 

come 
Rigbt on up dare to dub big bouse n gib bim n missus 

some! 

Finely, be got tired er-waitin', so be walks on down to 

wbere 
He bad seed me stan' n slioot at ; — foun' bis gun n 

Sbaggy dare! 
Picked it up n pulled bis knife out, n cut off ole 

Sbaggy's tail, 
Car'ed it on back tu dub big bouse, — waitin' dare iz 

mad iz bail ! 

Dreckly, up I comes er-steppin', wif er quarter dat wuz 
prime ! 

Walked rigbt on up in dub big bouse, — proudes' nig- 
ger of dub time ! 

" Mawnin', massa ! " Y'orter seed me bow n do dub 
curtsey bop, — 



SHAGGY. 



25 



"Thought berhaps dit you n missus mought enjoy 
some mutton chop ! " 

Dar ole massa sot iz stunly, — diden't eben crack er 

grin ! 
" Come 'ere, nigguh," said he huffly ; missus took duh 

mutton din. 








N went on out to duh kitchen n lef me in dare wid 

him, — 
Up he retched behind duh bureau fer his cowhide, keen 

n slim. 



"Whar my gun, suh?" "Hit's at home, mas'!" 

" Yes hit is, fer dat's hit dare ! " 
Hin he wahmed me, laws er mussy ! wahmed me up 
fum heels to hair! 



26 



BLACK SMILES. 



But I would'nt er mount dull waHmin', — dough 'twuz 

hot iz brimstone hail, 
If he hadn't to my briches sewed ole Shaggy's bushy 

tail ! 

Wif dat thing er-hangin' 'hind me, all dat whole long 

sumniuh froo ; — 
Bvuhbody called me, " Shaggy " ! n I had to take it, 

too. 
Well, I knows j^ou chaps is weary ; so now, off to roost 

n sleep ; — 
Don't you nevnh dough furgit duh two-legged dog dat 

kilt duh sheep. 




vv. 



^SRS 






m 




Well, the younguns all er-snorin', so's deyr dad n 

mamiuie too ; 
Bbry livin' soul am sleepiu', Mandy, 'cepin' me n 3^011. 
An' you liand me Sal Malindy, slie kiu sleep in gram- 

per's arms ; 
N jis draw yer cheer up closter, so I kin review your 

charms. 



Lub, duh frosts er time am white on ebry stran' n lock 

er hair, 
N duh years have penned deyr 'pistles in dat face once 

young n fair ; 
N duh light no mo' am sparklin' lak duh sunshine in 

yer eyes, 
Which by faif am camly lookin' tawdz duh mansions in 

duh skies. 

[27] 



28 BLACK SMILES. 

An' yo' cheeks hab lost dull roses wliicli in young days 
use to bloom: 

N my head lak yours is blossomed fer duh crown beyan' 
dull tombo 

Mandy, little Sal Malindy is duh very spit of you 

When we met n loved n married, way back dare in fifty- 
two. 

N duh dogwood tree am standin' down duh hill dare by 

duh spring, 
Where we use to do our courtin', where we use to lub n 

sing, 
N dat May -night when we married, missus spread a 

bankit dare, — 
N if happy makes er angel, on dat night we wuz a pair. 

I's been settin' here er-spellin' in duh Gospul writ by 

John, 
In duh place where our ole missus use to lub to dwell 

upon : 
"In my Father's house are many, many mansions, n 

I go 
To prepare a place dare fer you, — " dat's duh most she 

read, you know. 

N while thinkin' on dat Scripsher, mas' n mis' comes 

back to me, 
N I sees um jis iz nacliul iz in life day use to be. 
Our ole niassa, — wa'n't he 'culiar ? Yit he wuz er good 

ole man. 



IN DAYS GONE BY. 



29 



N I bleaves iz you do, Mandy, dat he'll reach duh better 
Ian'. 

One thing makes me lub ole massa, — dough he 

used to put me froo, — 
He was kind to all our younguns, n he 

wuz so good to you. 
Nebber in my life, n' I knowed him 

clean down twill he taken sick. 
Did he eber on er oilman lay er single 

angry lick. 



N he neber sol' er nigguh ; n whin one 

would run erway. 
He would git no dogs to ketch him ; — down unto his 

dyin' day 
Our ole massa thought it sinful thus to treat er helpless 

slave ; — 
N I have to love him fer it, dough to-night he's in his 

grave. 




An' you know I larned to read n write er ha'f-way 

decent han' : — 
Co'se I'se told you how I larnt it: John n Henry in 

duh san' 
When we'd go er swimmin' Sundays, dey would make 

duh alphabit, 
N I'd try tuh make duh letters, n dey'd laf twill fit to 

split. 



30 BLACK SMILES. 

Well, dey kep' er-foolin' wid me, n I tried wid all my 

might. 
Twill it happened Mr. Sambo got duh gif to read n 

write. 




Whin at last ole massa kotched me, Lawd, it spoilt his 

earthly joys ; 
Co'se I had to name my teachers, n I tole him, — 'twuz 

his boys ! 

Chile, you know I thought duh cowhide would in wraf 

on me descen' ; 
But ole massa tuk my han', n spoke to me iz frin' to 

frin' ; 
Splained to me how 'twould be dang'us fer duh fac' to 

become known, 
Axed fer his sake n muh own sake dat I'd leabduh ink 

alone. 



IN DAYS GONE BY. 



31 



Co'se dat wuz in time er slav'ry, n I wuzn't awllus 

good ;— 
Well, I don't spoze dat er darkey in dim days jis reely 

could 
Be iz good iz Christians orter; faw his youngsturs 

bound tuh eat, — 
Which accounts fer stolen muttons, n 

my scrapes wid Hoodoo Pete. 

When er feller gits er wife n chilluns 

nuff to number nine, — 
Wif deyr stomachs awllus heavy, 

awllus heavy on deyr min', — 
Hit's no easy job to feed um ! How- 

somever, you n Sam 
Stood in wid ole massa's bacons; — us 

wuz def upon his ham ! 

But der Lawd is up in heaven, n ole 
mas' is in der ground, 

N I ax muh Lawd n Sabeiour, if er- 
gains' duh dead be found 

Any sin ur wrong by Sambo, — mut- 
ton, grunter, ur what not, — 

Dat He'll please duh sin forgive me, 
n fum out duh Record blot. 




You remimber well iz I do, dat po' ohman, Sindy May 
Wid her pooty little baby, — how she tried to git erway 



32 



BLACK SMILES. 



Fum dull State er Alerbamer, way back dare in fifty- 
tliree, — 

Tried ter reach duh Queen's Dominions, where der peo- 
ple all wuz free. 

N you 'mimbur, lub, you 
lint her dat dare bran' 
new wusted shirt, 
Which I bought you f er yo' 
birfday, n my flannel 
Sunda}^ shirt, 
You cut up n made her baby, 
— little helpless, hongry 
thing,— 
Made duh little chump er wrapper, 
which we fixed on wid er 
string. 

N I helped her out cr Jawgy on 
her way to Nawf Ca'line ; 
Run all night, n got back home, 
suh, broad dayliglit, 'bout 
eight ur nine ; 
N I 'scaped, faw hit wuz rainin' ; 
but had hardly made it back 
When we heard duh bloodhounds yelpin', hard n fas' 
upon her track ! 




I kin see her iz dey brought her, right befo' our cabin 
do', 



IN DAYS GONE BY. 



33 



Wif her little, bloody baby, which diih hounds had kilt, 

you know ; 
N I still kin hear her screamin', iz dey driv her 'long 

duh road, 
Bleedin' lak er beef, n naked, fawduh hounds no niurcy 

showed. 



Say, she wuz a pooty critter, wid dat long, black wavin' 

hair 
Floatin' all eroun' her body, in dat col' Novimber air ! 
N it seems dat God in pity stretched duh clouds ercross 

duh sky, 

So dim beas'ly, cruel humans moutn't see His angels 
cry. 



Iz dey driv her by duh big house, mas' 

wuz stan'in' at duh gate, — 
I wuz follerin' 'hind duh drivers, hince I 

heard him tell um, " Wait ! " 
Run his right han' down his pocket, n 

pulls up er sack er gol', — 
Counted out two hundred dollars. Missus 

took dat bleedin' soul, 




Turned duh kiver on her bed, suh; — n her face wuz 

wet wid tears, 
Iz she stood by dyin' Sindy, in whose life n tender 

years 
Dare wuz only shame n sorrer, wid no one to take her 

l^art 



34 BLACK vSMILES. 

Twill 'twuz too late ; — n ole missus, — chile, we thought 
'twould break her heart ! 



Well, I guess we'll change duh subjics ; see yo' cheeks 

n mine is wet ; 
Our ole mas' n mis' n Sindy, all done paid duh final 

debt; 
N it soon will be our time to pass away n be at rest, — 
"Peaceful rest," so runs duh poet, n "its waking 

s'premely blest. " 



Din dare come duh great Rebellion, hin hit's awllus 

seemed to me 
Dat dat war wuz sent perposely fer to set duh nigguhs 

free. 
Seems duh Lawd got tired er waitin', hearin' argermints 

er men, 
N jis raised up grand ole Lincoln fer to wipe erway duh 

sin. 



N you know dit John n Henry, all dim chilluns massa 
had, — 

John wuz ebery thing to missus, Henry, all unto his 
dad, — 

Went n jine duh 'Fedrit forces, spite er all deyr folks 
could do ; — 

N poor John wuz kilt at Shiloh, sixdth of Apurl, sixty- 
two. 



IN DAYS GONE BY. 



35 



Henry fell at Chickermawger, tawdz duh close of sixty- 
three ; 

N whin it wuz told to massa, "Now I longs tuh die," 
says he. — 

Well, ole missus died dat Cwismiis ; you wuz stan'in' 
by her side, 

Kaze I mimbur how you tole me dat she 
lak some angel died. 

Din ole massa left duh big house, — said 

'twuz lonesome ober dare ; 
Said he'd rudder share our cabin, if we 

had er room ter spare. 
So we squez ourse'ves up closter, — n hit 

wuz dis very room 
Where he lived fum dat time onwuds, 

twill we cared him to duh tomb. 

You remimber whin duh Yankees come 

along in sixty-fo' 
Dat ole mas' wuz on his def-bed, — hit set 

right dare by dat do'. 
Whin dat 'bellion first wuz started, he 

wuz rich iz any man ; 
Whin he died he didn't own er single 

thing excep' his Ian'. 



Whin duh Yankees come, dey stripped him; burnt duh 
big house to duh groun'; 




36 BLACK SMILES. 

Took duh hogs n cows n bosses ; — eberytliing he had 

dey foim'. 
Co'se hit went to scrush duh 'bellion ; — bin duh darkies 

up n lef 
Wid duh army, all excep'in' Pete n Alandy n myse'f. 

I wuz glad dey scrushed dull 'bellion ; — to duh victor 

b'longed duh spoil ; 
But it hurt me, chile, to see um 'stroy so many years 

er toil, 
N to see um burn duh big house : dar wuz nuffin else 

so dear 
Unto us, excep' dis cabin, — dear ole cabin ! hit's still 

here. 

Whin dey kf, ole massa called me, n I went n tuk his 

ban' ; 
Says he, "Sam, I see dey lef you; — wonder if dey lef 

duh Ian'?" 
" Yas, sub, massa," says I sadly ; de ole man wuz layin' 

low ; 
N he says, "Now, Sam, I'm dyin', n dare's one thing 

'fo' I go 

" Dat I 'zires to leab here wid you." N he pulled dis 

Bible out 
Fum his piller, wid dis paper, which of co'se you knows 

about. — 
" Dis my will fer you n Mandy," — (you wuz somewhere 

out-er-do's) — 



IN DAYS GONE BY. 37 

" Lay me side yo' good ole missus, — all duh Yankees 
lef is yo's; — 



" Good bye, Sambo ! " Dim duh las' words dat on earfe 

he eber said ; 
Closed his eyes, n 'fo' I knowed it, our ole massa, — he 

wuz dead. 
N I kinnot keep fum thinkin', if in heaben bright n fair 
Chris' has 'pared a single mansion, mas' n mis' am got 

one dare. 

An' duh years am fastly flyin'; hain't none lef but me 

n you; 
N we soon mus' leave our cabin, n accep' er mansion 

too. — 
Lis'n here at Sal Malindy, — hain't she mo' din mawtul, 

say? 
Well, I bleave I's read er Scripsher; so den, Mandy, 

s'pose we pray. 





"PASS DAT BISKIT." 



Now, befo' we leave duh table, all you youngsters git 

plum quite, 
Faw I see I'll hab to show you what is wrong n what is 

right. 
Co'se we kin excuse Malindy ; she is gramper's baby 

yit ; 

But hit's time you udder younguns wuz er larnin' little 
bit. 



I remember whin er youngster, lak you youngsters is 

terday, 
How my mammie taught me manners in a 'culiar kind 

er way. 
One er mammie's ole time 'quaintance, — Missus Dooney 

wuz her name, — 
Wuz one night our mammie's cumpny, — mammie, co'se, 

prepared fer same. 

[39] 



40 



BLACK SMILES. 




Mammie fixed her cookin' vessels ; me n Son n little 

Sis, 
We wnz lieppin' 'roun' er-doiii' little dat n little dis, 
Faw our mammie had duh sifter, u wuz makin' up some 
dough. 

Which would soon turn inter biskits, — Law 
— we all wuz smart, you know. 



Faw hit wuzn't custymary whin I wuz er- 

comin' up, — er 
'Cep' hit wuz whin we had cumpny, — to hab 

biskits hot fer supper. 
I N of co'se, on sich ercasions, mammie'd only 

bake er few, 
N she nachly 'spec' us younguns to put up 

wid one er two. 

Now, hit happened whin dim biskits reached 
dull table on dat night, 
Dat my exercise had s'plied me wif er whalein' appur- 

tite! 
'Zerves n biskits on duh table ! Honey, I could skasely 

wait 
Fer my mammie to adminstur, — I jis had to pass muh 
plate. 



N Mis' Dooney, — good ole lady, — fawked er biskit off 

fer me ; 
N she had to keep er-fawkin' twill she'd fawked off one, 

two, free : — 



" PASS DAT BISKIT." 41 

Hin liit wiizn't many minutes 'fo' I 'plies fer number 

fo';- 
Mammie frowns n han' me cold one, — drapped dat 

blame thing on duh flo' I 



" Hab er biskit' Sister Dooney," mammie said, n I 

turned blue, 
Iz she shoved der plate up to her, dare wuz only 'main- 

in' two. 
" Not quite ready, Sister Mandy," — n she pass duh 

plate tuh son ; 
"In er minit," 'splains Mis' Dooney, "I will 

try ernudder one." 

I had bit dat ole cold biskit, — tough ernuff to yv^ 

choke er goat, — fii^'- •■'■'■ 

N I don't know how I swallud, but I swallud, ^^^&i'-' 

cleared muh th'oat, J 

N I looks it Missus Dooney, faw I see duh t 

biskit she's /j; 

Workin' on am gettin' scacer : says I, " Pass yi 

duh biskits, please." \^]f 

Missus Dooney kep' er tawkin', n er munchin' «P"«i 

on her bread ; 
She n mammie kep' er tawkin', jis iz if I'd nuthin' 

said. 
^^Pass der biskits, please ma'am," says I, little louder 

din befo': — 



42 



BLACK SMILES. 



Law, 3^ou orter seed how niammie frowned up dare, — 
jis sorter so. 

Missus Dooney nebber heard me, — dat's dull way dat 

she let on, — 
N her little piece er biskit in er minute would be gone ; 




jmm ^- 



N dare wa'n't but one mo' lef, suh ; — man, I stretched 

up in muh cheer, — 
Says I wif muh fawk uplifted, ''^ Pass dat biskit^ don't yer 

hear ? I " 



Yas suh, chilluns, bet yer money, dat dare biskit come 

to me ! 
" Hab some mo'," sa3^s mammie to her. " No, I thank 

yer, Sis," says she. 
Mammie says, "Jis come in front, din; dain't no use 

fer you to wait." 
N iz soon iz dey had gone out, 'zerve-dish sot right in 

muh plate ! 



"pass DAT BISKIT." 43 

Mammie come on back dare dreckly, — jis iz hot iz bees 

n ants; — 
Up she hists me fum dat table, n she rolls me out muh 

pants, — 
Hitched my head np 'twixt her knees, suh, great big 

luther strop assisted, 
N whin she had 'formed her duty, all dem biskits done 

dijisted. 

Bet yo' life, I sho' remimbud, youngsturs, evuh aftuh 

dat, 
Dit whin 'zerves wuz on duh table, dey wuz dare to be 

looked at! 
N 'bout takin' las' er victuals,— mammie sho' did me 

convince 
'Fo' I got back in dim briches ! — I'se had manners 

evuh since. 





POJJU 



Make ace, youngims ; me n grammer wants you to be 

still n quite, 
N to listen to dull story dat I'm gwine tuli 'late tuli- 

niglit. 
Sal Malindy, whar 3'ou, honey? Dat's er sweet gal, 

come to gramp ; — 
Well din, go on to yo'' grammer, you audacious little 

scamp. 



Dis wuz in dull days of actions, iz w^e used to call um 

den, 
Whin we all b'longed to dull white folks, n wuz slaves 

instid er men. 
N it wuz 'long in Novimbuh, 'simmon season wniz on 

hail', 
N sweet taters baked wid 'possum wuz dull go in Dixie 

Lan'. 



46 BLACK SMILES. 

N of co'se, you all know 'possum, wliin hit's baked 

right good n brown, 
Wid dull stuffins n duh taters floatin' in duh grease 

eroun', 
Wif er few red pods er pappah, so's tuh make hit sorter 

hot. 
Is duh bes' stuff dat er oilman evuh put in pan ur pot. 



Now ouh dog, his name wuz Bulljuh, — smartuh dog 

hain't wo' er hide, 
Faw dat houn' would sho' kotch 'possums, — n I'm sorry 

yit he died. 
Well, on dis Novimbuh evening, long befo' duh clock 

struck eight, 
Bulljuh treed, n I goes to him, — great big 'possum, 

sho' iz fate! 



Up I clamed up 'mungst duh 'simmons, vygrusly I 

shook der lim', 
Down he come, n good ole Bulljuh butters biskets dare 

wid him ! 
I gets down you know n feel him, hin he wuz jis rollin' 

fat; 
'Way we went back to duh cabin, skint him 'fo' 'yo' 

mought say. Scat ! 



Mandy had duh pots er bilein' time I got duh 'possum 
clean. 



'possum. 



47 



N I turned liim ovuli to huh, dumped him in duh grub- 
machine. 

N I'll tell yuh, dat dare grammer 'zackly done huh 
dooty, too; 

Whin she fixed er 'possum, sonny, hit wuz cooked 
now, hin hit's troo. 



She wuz on duh whole plantation, bes' 

cook on ole massa's place, 
N whin she got froo er cookin', done 

me good to ax duh grace ; 
N whin 'possum decked duh table, — 

well I'll jis be took n hung 
If I wuzn't skeert whin swallun dat I'd 

swaller teefs n tongue. 



But to 'turn to dis heah 'possum. Sizely 

iz duh clock struck nine, 
Dat dare booger wuz er-lookin' axshilly, 

nachully, 'zackully fine! 
" Yas, he done now," grammer says, n 

slices off his hams, you know, 
Kase we 'greed to treat duh white folks ; done it mos'ly 

fer a show. 




Well, yer grammer got her bonnet, put dim hams upon 

er plate, 
N went on up to duh big house. — Lawd, I poss'bly 

couldn't wait 



48 BLACK SMILES. 

Twill slie come back, so I slip in to dull kitclieu, — n 

I sware ! 
Bendin' right above dat 'possum, wuz some feller, 

smackiii' dare! 



Folks, I jis slip right up on him, — jis mnli socks on, 

co'se you know, — 
N I kicked dull skawnul so hard dat I sprained muh lef ' 

big toe; 
Knocked him slap across duh oven settin' dare upon duh 

coals, — 
Law, I riz him fum dat 'possum ! 'Way out in duh flo' 

he rolls. 



But you mought er seed me lookin', iz ole massa riz up 

dare, 
N snatched off er piece er scantlin', n begin tuh cuss n 

sware ! 
" Mussey, massa," I 'gin pleadin', "Law, I didn't spoze 

'twuz you ! " 
" Well, you'll spoze 'twuz me, ber golly, by duh time 

dit I gits froo." 

Oh, he wool me 'roun' dare scan'lous, wif dat piece er 
tinibuh, chile; 

All duh darkies heard me hollern u come runnin' fer er 
mile, 

But dull lickin didn't hurt me lia'f is much iz I pre- 
tended ; — 



'possum. 



49 



I wuz sholy mort'ly skeert, dough, my probation days 
wuz ended. 

Well when he got froo er-beatin', off he go upon his 
hoss. 

Mandy come, n us n Bulljuh made up fer dull time we 

loss 
Foolin' 'roun' bein' good to white fokes ; — evuli 'possum 

Bulljuh kotched 
Aftuh dat, you bet yer dolluh, white fokes' tushes never 

to'ched. 



Mandy says, " Sam, ax duh blessin'," iz down to duh 

dish we sot, 
Kaze dare wuz er plent}^ 'possum still remainin' in duh 

pot. 
Says I, " Massa Jesus, please suh, bless dis 'possum fer 

ouh sake, 
N may dat which mas' n miss' got give uui bofe duh 

stumuck-ache ! " 



h^^- 












MOTHER. 



Cover's turned and bed is ready, and I'm in my 

" nighty " dressed ; 
"Napper" sends the "gapers" for me, and they hill 

me off to rest; 
But before I leave for " Dreamland," just before I reach 

the bed, 
I am kneeling, and my mother's soft, warm hands are 

on my head. 
(50) 



BLACK SMILES. 5 1 

"Now I lay me down to sleep," I hear that mother 

gently say, 
And repeating what she'd tell me, learned my infant 

lips to pray. 
Often as I say, " Onr Father," still that mother's face 

I see, 
Jnst as when I was her "tootsy," with my head upon 

her knee. 



And when down to sleep I lay me, when my lips in 

death be dumb, — 
When I sleep that sleep she's sleeping, till the Prince 

of Life shall come ; 
If I wake to life immortal, and with her bright glory 

share, 
It will be because that mother's love is living in that 

prayer. 




AN ODE TO MOTHER EARTH. 

[The iuscriptioii of this ode is made to the fairest flower of the GR^AT MOTHER 
of whom I sing, Daisy.] 



Sweet Muse, bequeath my pen thy lasting charm, 
Soon shall my lips be dumb, my heart be still. 

While life bestows its strength unto my arm. 
Grant thou my ink thy living charm to thrill 
The souls of men. These words with beauty fill, 

That men may pause amidst life's fevered, ruinous rush 
And see in Mother Earth thy pictured will. 

What blossoms here, forbid that Time should crush 

When sleeps my lonely soul in Death's eternal hush. 



O Earth, enduring Mother of us all ! 

How fair, how lovely still thy wondrous face ! 
Who knows thy years, save God ? Who can recall 

Time when thy mundane bounds were born to space ? 

Thou wast thy Maker's bride and formed to grace 
[52] 



BLACK SMILKS. r^ 

His Universe ; Jehovah chose thee for His own ; 

Thou left His love, forsook thy Lord's embrace 
For Man, thy most unworthy son ; to groan 
For him,— vain, wretched worm,— thou queen of heaven's 
throne ! 

For him thy tender, loving bosom bleeds ; 

Thy form, once wrapped in Glory's robes, I see 
Clad now in rags of woe for Man's misdeeds : 

Still down the ages rings thy whispered plea, 

" Father, forgive! " What mother's love can be 
Like thine, O Dolor Mater ! Millenniums of tears 

Have washed thy cheeks ; the scourge of sin on thee 
Hath left its scars, and on thy face appears 
The furrowed field which Death hath ploughed through 
all thy years. 

And yet how beautiful thou art, O earth ! 

How generous in thy grief ! How great ! 
What beauties to thy bosom owe their birth ! 

What charms are thine, thou miracle of Fate! 

Thy husband is thy God, and on thee wait 
Angelic hosts, all armed with bright, celestial steel ; 

These guard thy first and glorious estate 
Until thy travail end, until thou feel 
Our Father's kiss upon thy cheek and wear His seal. 



54 AN ODE TO MOTHER EARTH. 

And I have loved thee, Mother Earth ; I'm thine. 

Thy soul, thy lot, thy likeness, all I claim; 
Thy fate, thy griefs, thy hopes, thy prayers are mine; 

I love, and own, thy nature and thy name. 

May God forbid that e'er a blush of shame 
Should kiss the crimson in thy grief-stained cheek 

For deed of mine. Be mine the noble aim. 
The purpose lofty, pure ; be mine to seek 
The secrets of thy joy, and not a sorrow wreak. 

Enchanting is thy loveliness in life ! 

Thy beauteous form in Ocean's ruffled blue 
Bespeaks thy royalty, proclaims thee wife 

Unto Jehovah, and in all thy sorrows true. 

Oft have I thought, as gently to my view 
Thou wouldst unfold as unto one beloved thy breast, — 

Oft have I thought, and with the thought I grew, 
That on thy brow Creation's crown should rest. 
Since thou of all the countless worlds art loveliest. 

And what is Man, that thou shouldst him regard ? 

A wanderer from thy love ; his chosen lot 
So often cast in sin ; a heart as hard, 

Unfeeling as the stone ; his day a blot 

Upon the calendar of Time ; forgot 
As soon as sinks his sun ; his friends rejoice to weep 



BLACK SMILES. 55 

For him in death, — in life they love him not. 
Thy love endures : back to thy arms we creep, 
Sad wrecks of sin, and rest in thy beloved sleep. 

The guiltest thy heart forgives and spreads. 

The lovely mantle of forgetfulness 
Above the deeds of shame that crown our heads, 

Above our sins, too dark to e'-en to God confess. 

Such monumental love no words express, 
No bosom save thy own couldst bear. Without a dream 

To tincture guilt with well-deserved distress ; 
Devoid of hope, if Justice be supreme ; 
We sleep, whilst pleads thy living love, " O God, re- 
deem ! " 

And soon shall dawn thy morn of restoration. 

For thee the tender heart of God doth yearn ; 
Thou'lt share with Him, the Sovereign of creation. 

The gifts which love for Man didst make thee spurn. 

Thy God shall come to thee ; and thy return 
To favor with thy Lord will wake to ecstasy * 

The dwellers of the universe ; they shall discern 
When thou shalt mount thy pristine throne to be 
Queen with thy God, what love was thine, and envy 
thee. 

Expectant Earth, when folded in thy breast, — 
When I shall sleep with all thy children dead, — 



56 



AN ODE TO MOTHER EARTH. 



When Death, tliy silent messenger of rest, 
Shall raise thy flag of trnce above my head ; 
I hope to wake enraptured from my bed 

To see thee crowned, to see thee robed in golden flame, 
To hear from angels' lips the summons read 

That welcomes thee to God. I hope to claim 

A sweeter tongue to sing the love that crowns thy 
name. 



^\ir^: 




The Ninety and Nine. 

BY PAUIv DUNBAR. 

Po' lir brack sheep that strayed away, 

Done los' in de win'* an' de rain, 
An' de Shepherd He say, " O hirehn'. 

Go fin' My sheep again." 
An' de hirelin' say, " O Shepherd, 

Dat sheep am brack and bad." 
But de Shepherd He smile, like dat HI' brack sheep 

Wuz de onliest lamb He had. 

An' He say, "O hirelin', hasten. 

For de win' an' the rain am col', 
An' dat lil' brack sheep am lonesome 

Out dere, so far f'um de fol'." 
But de hirelin' frown, "O Shepherd, 

Dat sheep am ol' an' gray ; ' ' 
But de Shepherd He smile, like dat lil' brack sheep 

Wuz fair as de break o' day. 

An' He say, " O hirelin', hasten, 

IvO, here is de ninety an' nine, 
But dere way off f ' um de sheepfol' , 

Is dat lil' brack sheep o' Mine ! ' ' 
And de hirelin' frown, " O Shepherd, 

De res' o' de sheep am here ! ' ' 
But de Shepherd He smile, like dat lil' brack sheep 

He hoi' it de mostes' dear. 

An' de Shepherd go out in de darkness 

Where de night was col' and bleak. 
An' dat lil' brack sheep He fin' it, 

An' lay it agains' His cheek. 
An' de hirelin' frown, " O Shepherd, 

Don' bring dat sheep to me ! " 
But de Shepherd He smile, an' He hoi' it close. 

An' dat lil' brack sheep — wuz — me ! 

C57] 



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